September Literacy and Workforce Updates

ATLANTA, GA — The Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) continues to advance its literacy and workforce initiatives. During the past legislative session, GOEWS was tasked with creating a unified literacy plan and strengthening community engagement across Georgia. Additionally, this month, the agency's workforce division is partnering with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) to host Governor Kemp's final Workforce Summit.

Literacy

The Unified Literacy Plan was distributed to superintendents' designees in August. This template provided communities with a structured framework for addressing literacy. All submissions are due by January 31, 2027.

During the month of August, GOEWS's State Literacy Coach Coordinator visited each of Georgia's 16 Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) to discuss implementation of House Bill 1193.  Each RESA hosted two sessions - one for RESA-based Regional Literacy Leadership and Literacy Coaches, and one for district leadership teams.  Those sessions set the stage for the Regional Literacy Leadership Coaches to begin supporting districts in developing their Unified Literacy Plan.

The Georgia Early Literacy and Dyslexia Act of 2026 calls for GOEWS to lead a statewide literacy messaging campaign designed to raise awareness, encourage family engagement, and promote literacy practices across Georgia.

As part of this effort, GOEWS will launch Georgia Reads Week beginning September 21, 2026, accompanied by a coordinated statewide social media campaign. School districts, educators, families, libraries, community organizations, and literacy partners across Georgia are encouraged to participate and help amplify the message that literacy is a shared responsibility and a lifelong journey.

To support participation, GOEWS will provide a Georgia Reads Week Marketing Toolkit featuring downloadable social media graphics and ready-to-use captions for each day of the campaign. The toolkit will make it easy for districts and community partners to share consistent messaging while adding their own local voice and activities.

According to GOEWS Executive Director, Fran Dundore, “The campaign will use a statewide message with local activation, which allows partners to share the same core message while connecting families to literacy opportunities in their own communities.”

September 21: Literacy Moment
Start the week with a simple literacy activity, reading tip, or moment that highlights the importance of building strong literacy skills.

September 22: Talk Together
Encourage families and communities to engage in meaningful conversations that build vocabulary, comprehension, and communication skills.

September 23: Sing Together
Promote the power of songs, rhymes, and music to support language development and early literacy.

September 24: Share a Story
Bring people together through storytelling and shared reading experiences that foster a love of books and learning.

September 25: Library Friday
Encourage Georgians to visit their local library, get a library card, explore available resources, and discover opportunities to support literacy at every age.

GOEWS encourages school districts and literacy partners statewide to participate in Georgia Reads Week by incorporating these themes into their communications, activities, and social media outreach. The Georgia Reads Week Marketing Toolkit will be available to help partners easily share each day’s message through downloadable graphics and suggested social media captions.

 Workforce Summit

The 2026 Governor's Workforce Summit will be held September 24-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Eight years. Countless partnerships. One clear mission. The Summit brings education, industry, and government leaders together to mark a milestone celebrating Governor Kemp's legacy of expanding opportunity for every Georgian, and the solid foundation now in place for the workforce of the future.

Governor Kemp will take center stage on Day One alongside top industry leaders for a forward-looking conversation about technology and AI, and what they mean for Georgia's workforce. He will then elevate the importance of student advisement and unveil the innovative navigation tool that brings students, adult learners, and employers together around the careers that matter most to Georgia's future.

Day Two puts the spotlight on the practitioners closest to students: secondary and post-secondary counselors, advisors, teachers, and administrators who turn possibilities into reality every day. Sessions will dive deeper into the new navigation tool, explore the current state of career guidance, and renew our shared commitment to ensuring every Georgian finds the path to a well-paying career.